Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont defied an order for him to appear in a Spanish court to face charges over his failed independence bid on Thursday.

Puigdemont fled to Brussels on Monday as Spain's state prosecutor announced he was seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds against the deposed president and 13 of his ministers. The charges follow Catalonia's October 1 independence referendum, ruled illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.